1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a continuous process wherein a mechanized and automated feeding system provides precision delivery of thermally and atmospherically conditioned components to a pelletization process including extrusion, pelletization, thermal processing, drying, and post-processing of the polymeric pellets formed such that the components can be combined to form solutions, dispersions, emulsions, formulations, and the like, wherein these components can further be reacted and thermally modified to form oligomers, pre-polymers, polymers, copolymers, and many combinations thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The generally independent processes and equipment in the conventional reactive extrusion, pelletization, and drying processes of polymeric material are known, some for many years, and used in various applications the most notable of which include polyurethanes. Thermal processing of the reactive components and polymeric pellets as used herein can involve temperature manipulation, including heating and cooling as well as crystallization and is well known.
Yet, the prior art is silent as to the use of a mechanized and automated feeding system to provide for the precision delivery of thermally conditioned reactive components to that reactive extrusion facilitating rigorous control of that reaction process and the subsequent pelletization, thermal processing, drying, and post-processing of the polymer formed.
Pelletization equipment and its use following extrusion processing have been implemented for many years by the assignee as demonstrated in prior art disclosures including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,123,207; 4,251,198; 4,500,271; 4,621,996; 4,728,176; 4,888,990; 5,059,103; 5,403,176; 5,624,688; 6,332,765; 6,551,087; 6,793,473; 6,824,371; 6,925,741; 7,033,152; 7,172,397; 7,267,540; 7,318,719; US Patent Application Publication Nos. 20060165834; German Patents and Applications including DE 32 43 332, DE 37 02 841, DE 87 01 490, DE 196 42 389, DE 196 51 354, DE 296 24 638; World Patent Application Publications WO2006/081140, WO2006/087179, WO2007/027877, and WO2007/089497; and European Patents including EP 1 218 156 and EP 1 582 327. These patents and applications are all owned by the assignee and are included herein by way of reference in their entirety.
Similarly, dryer equipment has been used by the assignee of the present invention for many years as demonstrated in the prior art disclosures including, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,458,045; 4,218,323; 4,447,325; 4,565,015; 4,896,435; 5,265,347; 5,638,606; 6,138,375; 6,237,244; 6,739,457; 6,807,748; 7,024,794; US Patent Application Publication No. 20060130353; World Patent Application Publication No. WO2006/069022; German Patents and Applications including DE 19 53 741, DE 28 19 443, DE 43 30 078, DE 93 20 744, DE 197 08 988; and European Patents including EP 1 033 545, EP 1 123 480, EP 1 602 888, EP 1 647 788, EP 1 650 516, and EP 1 830 963. These patents and applications are all owned by the assignee and are included herein by way of reference in their entirety.
Additionally crystallization processes and equipment are also disclosed by the assignee exemplarily including U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,032; US Patent Application Publication Nos. 20050110182, 20070132134; European Patent Application No. EP 1 684 961; World Patent Application Publication Nos. WO2005/051623 and WO2006/127698. These patents and applications are all owned by the assignee and are included herein by way of reference in their entirety.
Post-processing manipulations as used herein can include thermal manipulation, pellet coating, particle sizing, storage, and packaging of the pellets thusly formed, and are well-known to those skilled in the art.